Source: Daily_Mail
Former Man City captain Dunne ready to face his old mates in Aston Villa shirt
Former Manchester City captain Richard Dunne will line up against his former team-mates on Monday night, and goalkeeper Shay Given had admitted it will be a strange sight.
Dunne departed for Aston Villa over the summer, after nine years in the north-west, and the two clubs clash in an eagerly awaited Premier League encounter.
Given, who has played with Dunne for many years with the Republic of Ireland, said: 'Richard was a great servant to the club, and I have known him for a long time with Ireland. He’s a really good friend of mine, but for 90 minutes we won’t be, he will want to win just as much as I will.
'We’ll be enemies for the 90 minutes, but we’ll be friends afterwards. But I’m hoping we can go there to get three points, keep the run going and keep climbing up the table.'
After being so closely identified with City for so long, Given was asked whether it seemed strange seeing Dunne in a Villa shirt.
'People said that when I left Newcastle as well!' he laughed.
'Richard was at City a long time, and seeing him in a Villa shirt is a bit strange. He’s settled in well in the games he has there’re so far, and we know what qualities Richard has. He’s a superb defender, and he’s great at set-plays at the other end as well. We’ll have to be careful that he doesn’t pop one in himself!
Given also told City's official website: 'He was a big favourite of the fans here and in the changing room, too. I think that the manager and Dunnie both felt he needed regular football, so with us signing Kolo and Joleon he felt he would not get as many games as he wanted. I wish him well at Aston Villa, but not too well on Monday night.
'But we’ll be team-mates again on Tuesday for the internationals. We’re still in touch, in fact he’s booked me a flight to Dublin on Tuesday morning so I owe him a few quid for that!'
City boss Mark Hughes said the club parted company with the long-serving defender on good terms.
He said: 'We gave him the opportunity to further his career and I’m sure he’s grateful for that. That won’t stop him trying to beat City because he’s a professional and that’s what he will want to do.
'I don’t think there will be a point to prove to anyone from Richard’s perspective. He was a very good player for City over a long and at times difficult, and that will always be remembered.'
